The Giants selected Evan Engram in the first round, making him the second tight end drafted (right after O.J. Howard, ahead of David Njoku). Engram weighs 234 pounds, so he seems more like a big wide receiver than a guy who can line up as a traditional, in-line tight end. But offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan disagrees.
Fantasy teams are looking for guys with the potential to catch 60-70 passes, so "big wide receiver" talk isn't a concern. But if the Giants are right -- and we'll see -- Engram would have a chance to play full-time. The team's other noteworthy tight end, Will Tye, isn't much of a blocker either.
Plenty of lighter tight ends have been able to carve out significant roles, and fantasy value, in today's NFL, of course. Jordan Reed is the most noteworthy example, and he's listed at just 237 pounds, not much more than Engram.
The table below shows tight ends weighing less than 250 pounds who have been drafted since 2000, including 2017 rookies. Players with at least one season as a top-10 fantasy tight end (1 point for 10 receiving yards and 6 for touchdowns) are in bold. Weights are from the NFL combine, though some players (e.g. Daniel Graham) played at a higher weight than what's listed.
| LIGHTER TIGHT ENDS (2000-) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rd | Pk | Player | Ht | Wt |
| 2002 | 1 | 21 | Daniel Graham, N.E. | 6.03 | 248 |
| 2003 | 2 | 63 | Teyo Johnson, Oak. | 6.05 | 247 |
| 2004 | 1 | 6 | Kellen Winslow, Clev. | 6.04 | 247 |
| 2004 | 2 | 61 | Kris Wilson, K.C. | 6.02 | 248 |
| 2005 | 3 | 86 | Kevin Everett, Buff. | 6.05 | 241 |
| 2005 | 6 | 179 | Bo Scaife, Tenn. | 6.03 | 249 |
| 2006 | 6 | 175 | Delanie Walker, S.F. | 6.01 | 241 |
| 2006 | 4 | 98 | Owen Daniels, Hou. | 6.03 | 245 |
| 2008 | 4 | 127 | Jacob Tamme, Ind. | 6.04 | 234 |
| 2008 | 1 | 30 | Dustin Keller, NYJ | 6.02 | 242 |
| 2008 | 3 | 91 | Jermichael Finley, G.B. | 6.04 | 243 |
| 2009 | 5 | 152 | James Casey, Hou. | 6.03 | 235 |
| 2009 | 3 | 100 | Travis Beckum, NYG | 6.03 | 243 |
| 2009 | 3 | 98 | Chase Coffman, Cin. | 6.06 | 244 |
| 2009 | 3 | 89 | Jared Cook, Tenn. | 6.05 | 246 |
| 2010 | 4 | 113 | Aaron Hernandez, N.E. | 6.01 | 245 |
| 2010 | 4 | 114 | Dennis Pitta, Balt. | 6.04 | 245 |
| 2011 | 4 | 102 | Jordan Cameron, Clev. | 6.05 | 244 |
| 2011 | 6 | 174 | Charles Clay, Mia. | 6.03 | 245 |
| 2012 | 4 | 110 | Ladarius Green, S.D. | 6.06 | 237 |
| 2013 | 3 | 85 | Jordan Reed, Wash. | 6.02 | 237 |
| 2013 | 6 | 184 | Mychal Rivera , Oak. | 6.03 | 242 |
| 2013 | 2 | 35 | Zach Ertz, Phil. | 6.05 | 249 |
| 2015 | 6 | 195 | Malcolm Johnson, Clev. | 6.02 | 231 |
| 2015 | 7 | 256 | Gerald Christian, Ariz. | 6.03 | 244 |
| 2015 | 7 | 254 | Rory Anderson, S.F. | 6.05 | 244 |
| 2015 | 5 | 173 | James O'Shaughnessy, K.C. | 6.04 | 245 |
| 2015 | 3 | 85 | Tyler Kroft, Cin. | 6.05 | 246 |
| 2015 | 2 | 55 | Maxx Williams, Balt. | 6.04 | 249 |
| 2017 | 1 | 23 | Evan Engram, NYG | 6.03 | 234 |
| 2017 | 1 | 29 | David Njoku, Clev. | 6.04 | 246 |
| 2017 | 2 | 44 | Gerald Everett, LAR | 6.03 | 239 |
| 2017 | 5 | 145 | Jake Butt, Den. | 6.05 | 246 |
| 2017 | 3 | 100 | Jonnu Smith, Tenn. | 6.03 | 248 |
--Andy Richardson